Shifting Perspectives
by Cassandra Raven
Summary: HIATUS. Gryffindors and Slytherins have been fighting with each other for as long as Harry has been at Hogwarts. But now, with Voldemort back and growing ever more powerful, perhaps it's time for that to change. HarryPansy.
1. Default Chapter

**Title:** Shifting Perspectives  
**Rating:** PG-13, just to be safe  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. They are owned by JKR and a bunch of other people.  
**Summary:** Gryffindors and Slytherins have been fighting with each other for as long as Harry has been at Hogwarts. But now, with Voldemort back and growing ever more powerful, perhaps it's time for that to change. Will students who've been enemies for so long be able to put old differences aside? It won't be easy, but sometimes unexpected things can happen... 6th year, Harry/Pansy, implied Draco/Hermione. Formerly known as Cookie Goodness.

* * *

Chapter One 

"Can we wrap this up? I need to meet Draco at noon."

Harry glared at his research partner. "We can't finish by noon! And if we don't finish now, we'll have to meet again tomorrow!"

"Fine," Parkinson said, sounding bored. "So we'll meet here tomorrow, after dinner."

"No, you're staying here and we'll finish today."

"Look, Potter, even if I stay we can't finish today. I'm going to go meet Draco, so just shut up."

"You want me to shut up? Make. Me." Harry growled.

Pansy narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. "Fine, I will!" She got up abruptly and stalked over to him, stopping only when she was standing in front of him. She was close, too close, close enough to kiss... She leaned in closer, and Harry closed his eyes in anticipation. Moments later, something soft and silky slipped through his lips. She smiled  
triumphantly and whispered in his ear, "Tomorrow, after dinner, Potter," as he spluttered angrily.

"This conversation isn't over yet, Parkinson!" he yelled at her retreating back as she sashayed away.

"Then you will have to finish it yourself!" she called back, not bothering to turn around.

Harry ground his teeth and looked down at the handkerchief she had stuffed in his mouth. It was a piece of white silk decorated only by an embroidered dragon in the corner. Shrugging, he tucked it away in his bag to give back to her tomorrow and began to put away the books Parkinson had left carelessly on the table.

* * *

"Oh great," Harry groaned. His bag had ripped, spilling everything. Ron grunted in agreement as Hermione bent to help pick up his stuff. 

"Harry, what are you doing with Malfoy's handkerchief?" Hermione asked curiously, holding it up.

"Malfoy's?" Harry asked blankly. "I got it from Parkinson."

"Well, it has a dragon on it doesn't it? 'Draco' is the Latin word for dragon, and all of his stuff have dragons on them. His pack, his rings, all his jewelry...surely you must have noticed?"

"How do you know all that about Malfoy anyway? You don't fancy him or anything, do you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Ron, just because I pay attention doesn't mean I fancy him," Hermione said before changing the subject. "Anyway Harry, you said you got the handkerchief from Parkinson. Do you fancy her?"

Harry noticed the oncoming horde of Hufflepuffs. "Hermione, don't talk so loud! People might overhear! And as for me fancying Parkinsonthat's ridiculous! No one in their right mind could possibly think that."

"You think I'm talking too loud? Why, you don't want everyone to hear that you secretly fancy Parkinson and have been dating her for the past five months behind our backs?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

Harry noticed with horror that the Hufflepuffs were giggling and gossiping about Hermione's last statement. "Don't say stuff like that when other people can hear! Now the whole school will think we've been dating!"

"Why should you be worried? After all, 'no one in their right mind could possibly think that.' Unless you really do fancy her?"

"I don't fancy her! And give me back that handkerchief; I'm meeting Parkinson after dinner. I'll give it back to her then."

* * *

He was already there waiting for her when she arrived at the library. He didn't seem to have started researching yet; instead he sat and played with a white silk handkerchief embroidered with a dragon. Wait...a white silk handkerchief embroidered with a dragon? She checked her pockets. Only her normal handkerchief, pink and frilly like everything else her parents bought for her because it was more _feminine_. Draco's handkerchief was gone. Damn! She must have accidentally stuffed Draco's handkerchief in Harry's mouth instead of her own. Now what was she going to do? 

She quite possibly could have stood there all day, debating her options, had Potter not looked up. "Are you going to sit down or not, Parkinson?" he asked irritably.

"I'll assume 'or not' isn't really an option and sit down."

A brief smile flickered across his face at her retort and was quickly suppressed. "Have you got any research done in your free time?"

"Have you?" she countered.

"No," he admitted.

"Then let's get started. I'll begin writing our report on the information we found yesterday. You can go research more. We need to hurry; it's due tomorrow."

"I know it's due tomorrow, but _someone_ had to cut our last session short. And why am I doing the research?"

"You're doing the research because it's less complicated."

"You don't think I can handle writing the report?"

"I know you can't handle it. You only got an E on your OWL, remember? You couldn't even have got into Potions this year if McGonagall hadn't forced Snape to let you in. Draco told me about it."

"Fine! I'll do the research!" Harry stormed off into the depths of the library and disappeared behind the bookshelves. He came back two minutes later to grab a quill and some parchment as she fought to hide a smirk. Her attempts to control her laughter apparently only incensed him further; when he came back he dropped his research notes on the table and left the library without so much as a parting shot. She decided against calling him back; she had the information she needed.

The growing grin on her face died as she abruptly realized something. She had forgotten to ask for Draco's handkerchief back! _Never mind that. Harry was her top priority_. But from what she knew of Potter, he wouldn't just forget those years of hating all Slytherins. She needed help. Pansy would have to ask for the help of Hermione Granger.

* * *

She sent the letter to Granger at breakfast, so it wouldn't be noticed among the rest of the owls. She had spent an hour on that letter, trying to find a way to phrase it to convince Granger to meet her. She had ended up with: 

_Granger,_

_I need to talk to you regarding Potter. I will meet you after dinner  
in that secret room, the one across from the tapestry of Barnabas the  
Barmy. If you are not there, I will be forced to tell the entire  
school about your little crush on a certain friend of mine._

_Pansy Parkinson._

Pansy carefully positioned herself so she could watch Granger's reaction as she read the note. Granger paled slightly as she scanned the letter. She looked up, caught Pansy's eye and nodded slightly. Pansy relaxed and sat back. She hadn't been sure how Granger would react to being blackmailed. Luckily, Granger was practical enough not to refuse simply because of principles. Pansy almost laughed out loud out of relief, but caught herself just in time. She jumped as the bell rang, earning herself an odd look from Blaise.

"We have Potions first, Pansy. It doesn't matter if we're late. Snape won't punish us."

"I know that, Blaise," she snapped. "I just lost track of time, that's all."

"If you say so."

The Slytherins got up and exited the Great Hall together, slipping into their usual formation; Draco in front with Pansy, followed by Blaise and Theodore, the only other Slytherins to make the required Outstanding. Snape said nothing as they slipped through the door five minutes late until they tried to sit down. "Do not sit in your usual seats. Because most of you did better on your last projects than you have done the past five years, you will be working with your partners for the rest of the year. Sit down with your partner."

"Sir? If we've just turned in our projects today, how do you know we have done better this time than in the last five years?"

"I was speaking of your other project with your partners, not the one you've turned in today."

Heart pounding, Pansy walked across the classroom and slid into her seat next to Harry.

"Parkinson."

"Potter."

"On the board are instructions for an Acrophobe Potion, used to cure fear of heights. Get to work!"

They worked in silence, Pansy wanting to say something but not knowing what to say. Pansy began peeling the Abyssinian shrivelfig as Harry cut ginger roots. When they were done with their respective tasks, Harry started a fire underneath the cauldron while Pansy tipped the ingredients in and stirred. The potion hissed and turned pale green. "Perfect," she said, satisfied and sat back.

"We're the second group done," he said, looking around the room. "Only Hermione and Malfoy finished faster."

Pansy glanced around the Potions classroom. Except for Granger and Draco, they were all still shredding or peeling.

"We should start cleaning up now," Harry said.

She scooped up a flask of the potion, labeled it with both of their names and placed it on Snape's desk, as Harry put the ingredients back in the student stores cupboard.

The bell rang, and students jumped up to get out of the classroom and away from Snape.

"Wait!" he snapped. "You may not leave until I have a sample of your potion on my desk. Malfoy, Parkinson, Granger, Potteryou are dismissed."

Pansy noted with amusement that Harry nearly bolted out of the classroom, in direct contrast to Draco and Granger, who seemed to be discussing something and were taking their time. Pansy hovered on the edge of their conversation, waiting for Draco. They seemed to be arguing about Arithmancy. Pansy mentally restrained a sigh. Draco loved Arithmancy and could argue about it all day. "Draco," she said, trying to get his attention. "Draco!"

He looked back at her. "What?"

"We have to get to Transfiguration."

"Oh, right. Later, Granger." He looked back at her as they left, a glance that lasted only a second too long.

"Enjoyed your chat with Granger?"

"You know how much I like Arithmancy."

"And that's the only reason you enjoyed your chat with Granger?"

"Of course! What do you think I am, a Mudblood lover?"

Pansy looked at him. He actually believed what he was staying. He still believed that rubbish his father had pounded into his head. She thought of telling him that it was all right, that his father was in Azkaban and he didn't have to follow in his footsteps any longer. Instead she said, quite neutrally, "Of course not. How could anyone  
think that?"

* * *

**AN:** This story is a collection of cookies. The cookies do not necessarily end where another has begun. Use your imagination to fill in the gaps. 

This story was rewritten. So if you find a different version somewhere else, that's why. This story was formerly known as Cookie Goodness, due to lack of a better title, but the name changed around the same time as the rewriting process.


	2. Chapter Two

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. They are owned by JKR and a bunch of other people. 

**AN:** I deleted the old version of the story. I decided to simply save the reviews on my computer and upload the new version of the story.

* * *

Chapter Two 

"What is the meaning of this letter?" Granger demanded as she stalked in.

Pansy squinted up at Granger from her chair. Granger was worried. "I believe I made it quite clear: we were to meet here or I was going to tell the whole school about your infatuation with Draco."

"What do you want in return for your silence?" Granger gritted out.

"Your help."

Granger was obviously not expecting that. "What?"

"Your help," Pansy repeated slowly, emphasizing the words. "Help: a verb meaning to assist or give support to."

"Don't patronize me, Parkinson," Granger said, her voice soft and dangerous. "You blackmailed me for my help?"

"Yes. Don't worry; I have no intentions of telling anyone about your feelings towards Draco."

"You won't?" Granger asked, relief evident in her tone.

"I won't," Pansy confirmed. "I apologize for having to resort to such methods, but we've never got along. I was afraid you would not come without a strong incentive. Would you have come if I simply asked for a meeting?"

"Perhaps not," Granger admitted. "What did you want my help with?"

Pansy affected a sigh. "The sad state of affairs inside Hogwarts. We are divided by these silly house prejudices when we should be joining together against the Dark Lord." She knew that house unity was a pet project of Granger's. It was the perfect lever to manipulate Granger with.

"If you wanted my help with house prejudices, why didn't you just say so in your letter? I would have come."

Pansy shrugged. "I thought you were more likely to come if I specifically mentioned a friend of yours. Potter and I have been working together in Potions, and because of inane house prejudices, we have not been doing as well as we should."

"You think the house prejudices are inane?" Granger asked. She sounded distrusting, but Pansy thought that she could detect a hint of curiosity. Granger wanted to believe that someone else agreed with her about house unity, which would make Pansy's task much easier.

Trying to sound earnest, Pansy said, "With these house biases, we cannot unite. Every house has something to contribute. If we all fight on our own, we could only achieve small, fragmented victories. But if all of Hogwarts were to combine, we could accomplish something worthwhile. We could do anything." She could see her ideas taking root inside Granger. "That is why I have come to you. I know that we haven't always liked each other. If two enemies like us can work together, we can convince people that inter-house relations is an achievable goal."

"I agree that house unity is necessary," Granger said cautiously. "I've been trying to do something about it for years."

"I know. And I must say, I found your efforts inspiring. That's part of the reason I came to you, and no one else. I knew you would understand, even if no one else could."

Granger blushed, obviously flattered. Pansy had seen this reaction before in class, whenever a teacher congratulated Granger personally. "I haven't had any success, though. People have been trying to unite the houses for generations. What makes you think that it will be different if we work together?"

"We now have an advantage that our predecessors did not," Pansy replied. "If you and I work together, we have a direct link between the most powerful Slytherins and Gryffindors. If we can work with each others' friends, and if we can convert our friends to the idea of house unity, the most of our fellow Slytherins and Gryffindors will follow. And the conflicts between Slytherins and Gryffindors are the main obstacles in our path towards creating house unity. If Slytherins and Gryffindors can get along, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs will fall into line."

Granger nodded distantly, her eyes lit with an inner flame and focused on some faraway place. "We can be the bridge that crosses opposite sides of Hogwarts," she breathed. "We can be the catalyst to meld the houses together."

Pansy allowed Granger another moment to indulge her delusions of grandeur, then spoke up. "You'll help me, then?"

Granger reluctantly returned to reality. She became pessimistic once more. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"How could I benefit from uniting our houses? Even if I was working for the Dark Lord, which I'm not, uniting the houses would only serve to make Hogwarts stronger."

"True," Granger admitted. "But how do I know you aren't just trying to get closer to Harry so you can spy on him?"

"How can I convince you that I am sincere?"

Granger smiled suddenly. "I could give you a Truth Potion."

Pansy blanched. She shouldn't agree to this. Who knew what things Granger might ask? "I don't want to admit my secrets to you, Granger."

"I won't ask you anything private. And it will be a very basic Truth Potion; it wears off within minutes," Granger assured her.

"What kind of questions will you ask me?"

"I'll ask you whether or not I can trust you and whether or not you will hurt any of my friends. That's all. Then you can ask me the same two questions."

Pansy thought it over. This was probably her best chance to get Granger on her side. "When will the potion be done?"

"In about five days. I take it you agree?"

Pansy nodded curtly. "Shall we meet here in five days, then?"

"That's fine with me."

* * *

The door was already in the wall, which meant that Granger was in. Pansy stared at the smooth, polished surface. This was her last chance to drop out of their deal. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Granger crouched over a cauldron in the center of the room. Granger's bag rested against the cauldron. Pansy wrinkled her nose at the smell. "Hello, Granger," she said. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost," Granger called back. She tossed in something, causing the smoke to billow upwards. "There." She took out a small beaker and ladled out some of the liquid. Granger held out the beaker to Pansy.  
"Here. Take a sip."

Pansy accepted the beaker and held it up. At least Granger isn't the type to poison me, she thought. Pansy lifted it to her lips and took a sip. It was like drinking fire, a stream of molten lava coursing through her. The burning subsided to a pleasant warmth.

"Can I trust you?"

Pansy fought the burning in her throat for control of her voice. "You can trust me as long as we work together and you don't betray me."

"Would you ever knowingly harm me or any friend of mine?"

"I would never hurt Potter, unless it was for his own good. If you help me and do not betray me, I will not harm you. If your other friends do not interfere with me, my plans, or those I hold dear, they will not suffer at my hands."

Granger nodded. "Good enough." She took out another beaker, filled it, and took a sip. "Your turn."

Pansy watched as Granger's face flushed with the heat of the potion. "Can I trust you?"

"If I can trust you, yes."

"Would you ever knowingly harm me or any friend of mine?"

"I would not harm you or any friend of yours unless it was necessary to do so."

What was that supposed to mean? But the color was fading from Granger's cheeks, which meant it was too late to ask. "Very well. Have we established my trustworthiness to your satisfaction?"

"Yes. Now, what do you think we should do?"

"Well, we should try to convert our friends to the cause. I doubt that we could get my friends to get along with your friends. But perhaps I could get along with Potter and Weasley, and perhaps you could get along with Draco," Pansy said, her voice deliberately casual.

Granger nodded. "All right."


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. They are owned by JKR and a bunch of other people.

* * *

Chapter Three

He had been playing chess with Ron, and losing as badly as usual when Hermione broached the subject. "Harry," she spoke up suddenly, interrupting Ron's victory cries, "what do you think of doing something for inter-house unity?"

"Maybe with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs," Harry said, considering.

"Yeah, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs are pretty decent," Ron agreed.

"What about the Slytherins?" Hermione pressed. "Shouldn't we include them as well?"

"No," Harry stated flatly. He looked to Ron for support.

"Harry's right," Ron said to Hermione. "Remember how Malfoy was like after Cedric died? 'Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first!' Those were his exact words!"

"And after we got back from the Department of Mysteries, he was furious," Harry remembered.

"He was? What happened?" Ron asked with interest.

Harry described his altercation with Malfoy at the end of last year. "Malfoy came up to me and began telling me how he was going to make me pay for putting his father in prison. I was about to hex him, but Snape appeared and gave me detention. Then McGonagall appeared and gave us all those points back," he finished.

"You should have hexed him, since Snape gave you the detention anyway."

"Ron!" Hermione chastised sharply.

"You heard what Harry said—Malfoy threatened him. How can you defend him?" Ron demanded.

Hermione bit her lip. "I know what awful things he has done, but Harry did put his father in prison. I'm not saying what he did was right," she added quickly. "It definitely wasn't right. But maybe it was understandable. He cared about his father so much, and then you put Lucius in prison—"

"Are you sympathizing with Malfoy?" Ron questioned in disgust. "What Malfoy has done over the years is plain wrong. He called you a you-know-what, remember?"

"And remember the times Malfoy tried to get Hagrid sacked? Or all those times he tried to get us in trouble?"

"I know what he's done," Hermione said quietly, twisting her hands in her lap. "I'm just asking that you consider things from his perspective. How would you feel if Malfoy got Mr. Weasley in prison?"

"I would wring his little neck," Ron replied emphatically. "But that's different."

"How so?"

"Dad would be innocent. Lucius is an evil, conniving bastard who deserves to be sent to Azkaban."

"I was simply making an example," Hermione said, sighing. "I'm just asking you to put yourself in his place. What about you, Harry? Don't you want revenge on Bellatrix?"

Ron made loud shushing noises.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Harry—I didn't mean to remind you of what happened," Hermione apologized.

Harry clenched his fists involuntarily, and then realized that they were staring at him. "It's fine," he said, forcing a smile. "Really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Hermione," Harry said irritably. "There's no need to mother me or treat me like I'm made out of glass."

"Okay then," Hermione said after a moment. "So what do you think of trying to get along with the Slytherins?"

"Sorry, Hermione, but I agree with Ron. You can't trust a Slytherin."

"Could you just try to get along with them?" Hermione pleaded.

"I always try to get along with them. They're the ones that pick fights!"

"Well, then could you try not to let them provoke you? Just ignore them."

"I'll try," Harry said. "But no promises."

"Ron?"

"All right," Ron said grumpily.

Hermione beamed.

* * *

Draco was deep in conversation with Theodore when Pansy found him in the common room. Or, rather, Draco was talking and Theodore was listening, as Theodore rarely spoke. Pansy thought she could guess the subject of his lecture. Draco was lit with an inner fire, speaking quickly and at length, as he always did when Arithmancy was the topic. "Hello, Pansy," he said, just noticing her presence. "We were just discussing Arithmancy."

"Draco? Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Theodore seized the interruption as an opportunity to escape and backed away. "I'll let you two talk privately," he said.

"What did you want to say?"

Pansy took a deep breath. "What do you think of trying to get along with the Gryffindors?" she said very fast.

Draco goggled at her for a moment. Then he said, "Could you repeat that again?"

"What do you think of trying to get along with the Gryffindors?" Pansy reiterated more slowly.

"You know," Draco said very calmly, "I could have just sworn that you said we should try to get along with the Gryffindors. I really must wash out my ears."

Pansy winced. "I did say that, actually."

"That's not funny, Pansy."

"I'm not joking, Draco."

"Since when do you suck up to Dumbledore?" Draco said nastily.

"I'm not doing this for Dumbledore," Pansy snapped. "I don't support the Dark Lord or Dumbledore. I'm neutral."

"Neutral means that you sell out your fellow Slytherins to Gryffindors?"

"I'm not selling you out! I'm making a suggestion that is in your best interest."

"Pansy, why would I want to get along with the Gryffindors? They put my father in prison! I can't allow them to get away with that."

"He'll break out soon anyway," Pansy pointed out. "Anyway, aren't you  
relieved since you won't have to become a Death Eater?"

"A bit," Draco admitted. "But he's my father, and one disagreement doesn't change that."

"So no matter what he does, you'll be loyal to him? That's rather risky, Draco."

"My father is a great man," Draco said passionately. "If he does something, there's a reason for it. He will break out, and when the Dark Lord takes over the wizarding world, he will be the Dark Lord's right hand man."

"How do you know the Dark Lord will succeed in taking over the wizarding world?"

"My father is helping the Dark Lord."

"Draco, your father isn't infallible. What if he's wrong?"

"He isn't."

"You can't just assume he will always be right! You can't depend on what your father thinks for the rest of your life! You have to think for yourself!"

"I don't think for myself? Is that what you think?" Draco didn't wait for an answer. "I don't have to listen to this." He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the common room. Pansy hurried after him.

"Draco, wait!" she panted when she reached him. "Draco, be reasonable. We've been friends for years; you can't just throw that way because of one argument!"

"Now you know how I feel about my father."

"That's not the same thing! Just because he is your father doesn't mean you have to listen to everything he says."

"Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean I have to listen to everything you say," Draco countered.

"I know you don't. I'm just asking you to consider it."

Draco was silent for a moment. Pansy could see the conflicting thoughts clearly projected on his face; Draco had always been bad at hiding his feelings. "I'll think about it," he said finally.

Pansy knew that was as far as she could push Draco. She could expect no more from him. "Thank you, Draco. When do you think you'll be able to make a decision?"

"I really have to go to Arithmancy now, Pansy. We can talk about this later." Draco turned away from her and disappeared around the corner, not looking back.

* * *

Pansy stared at the empty corridor. She couldn't decide whether that had just gone well or badly. 

Pansy ambled into the library. She smiled sweetly at Madam Pince as she passed, dropping the smile the second she was out of sight. She reached out and stroked the dusty tomes as she looked for a specific book. She found a copy and pulled it out excitedly.

Granger read aloud the title, clearly disapproving. "_All About__Psychotropic Spells_."

Pansy dropped her book in surprise. "Granger," she said, bending down to pick up the book. "I was just looking at it," she lied.

Granger was unconvinced. "I'm not stupid, Parkinson. What are you doing with a book about spells to affect the mind? I hope you weren't planning on using any; they are illegal, you know."

"It was just going to be a bit of light reading," Pansy protested. She stuffed the book back on the shelf, not particularly caring whether she put it back in the correct location.

"I'm sure," Granger said, regarding Pansy with suspicion. "I don't know what that book is doing here; it ought to be in the Restricted Section. I'll take it to Madam Pince later." She plucked the book from the shelf. "Have you spoken to the Slytherins yet?"

"I brought up the idea of inter-house unity with Draco," Pansy replied.

"And?" Granger asked eagerly.

Pansy shrugged. "Draco said that he would think about it. I haven't had the opportunity to speak to anyone else about it."

"Well, if he supports it, the other Slytherins probably will agree," Granger muttered, her brow creased with thought.

"Not necessarily," Pansy warned. "If he supports it, he may simply be ostracized. We need more support."

"Isn't Draco the most important Slytherin, though?"

"Actually, Adrian is. Draco isn't that powerful with his father in Azkaban," Pansy explained. "How did it go with the Gryffindors?"

"Harry and Ron agreed to try not to be provoked by the Slytherins, but they wouldn't promise anything more. It's a good start, though."

"I suppose," Pansy said dubiously. This was going to take a while. She glanced longingly at the book in Granger's hand. With that book, she could get things to work much faster, but there was no way she could get it now. "Granger? Could you do me a favor?"

"I'm not giving you back this book," Granger said firmly.

"Can you get back the handkerchief for me?"

"Handkerchief?"

"I stuffed it into Potter's mouth. It was white silk with a dragon on it."

"Isn't that Draco's handkerchief? What were you doing with it?"

"Draco dropped it somewhere and I picked it up."

"That's it?"

"That's it," Pansy reassured Granger. "It's not a romantic token of his love, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh. I'll ask Harry about it."

"Thanks, Granger."


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. They are owned by JKR and a bunch of other people.

* * *

Chapter Four 

Dawn the next morning found Harry sitting in the common room, finishing the last inch of his Charms homework. Ron was there as well, complaining loudly about the length of the assignment. "How can anyone write six inches on common properties of household cleaning charms? I only have four inches."

"Include as many examples as possible," Harry said absently. Had he mentioned the Scourgify Charm yet? He jotted down a paragraph about the similarities of the Scourgify Charm and the Dust Removal Charm. Was it six inches long yet?

"Do you think Hermione would let me look at her homework?" Ron mused.

"When does she ever?" It was barely six inches, but it met the requirement. Satisfied, Harry put down his quill and blew gently on the parchment to dry the ink.

Ron grimaced. "True," he said, looking put out. "Maybe Hermione will make an exception this time."

"Make an exception for what?" came Hermione's voice from the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

Ron's neck snapped around in Hermione's direction. "Hermione! Could you help us with our Charms homework? I know you wrote ten inches."

"Why didn't you do it before?" Hermione inquired. "I wrote mine at least a week ago."

"I was busy!" Ron defended.

"Well, if you want, I could lend you the book on household charms I borrowed from the library," Hermione offered.

"Can't you just lend me your paper?"

"How will you learn?"

"But I have a whole two inches to write before Charms! How can I finish in time?"

"Well, next time, why don't you start earlier?"

"How will that help me now?"

Hermione sighed and sat down next to Ron. "What do you already have?"

Ron handed her his paper. Hermione flipped through it, muttering underneath her breath. "It looks like you haven't covered Pot Scrubbing Charms or Anti-Lint Spells. Why don't you look them up here?" she suggested. She produced a thick book from her bag.

Ron groaned. "Hermione, can't you just tell me what I need to know?"

"No," Hermione said firmly. "Try the index. Harry, do you still have the handkerchief you got from Parkinson?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Well, then shouldn't you return it?"

"I guess," he said. "I'll give it back to her the next time we have Potions."

Hermione looked relieved. "Okay."

"Why does it matter whether Harry gives it back or not?"

"Do you really want to keep a handkerchief used by Malfoy?"

Ron shuddered. "Good point. It probably has his filth all over it."

"Ron," Hermione said warningly.

"What?"

"I wish you wouldn't refer to Malfoy as filthy."

"How do you know I was referring to Malfoy as filthy? Hermione, the point of having a handkerchief is blowing your nose. Anything blown out of _anyone's_ nose is filthy."

Harry felt alarmed. "Parkinson stuffed that thing into my mouth!"

"It looked pretty clean when I held it," Hermione reassured him.

"That's disgusting," Ron said, revolted. "Even if it has been cleaned recently, he still used it."

"That makes me feel so much better."

"Sorry, Harry."

"You do realize you still have to finish your Charms homework?"

Ron moaned and reached again for his quill.

* * *

Draco was avoiding her.

From what Crabbe and Goyle had said, she gathered that Draco had left the dormitories early. When she checked the Great Hall, he wasn't there.

He wasn't in the dungeons. Nor was he on the Quidditch Pitch, in the library, out by the lake, or in the Arithmancy classroom. She began checking the other classrooms as well.

When she checked the Great Hall for the third time, she decided it was time to take a break. Pansy took a seat by Daphne. "Good morning."

"You're normally here earlier," Daphne commented. "Where have you been?"

"Did you hear the news?" Sally-Anne asked excitedly.

Pansy blinked. "What news?"

Sally-Anne leaned forward and whispered quickly, "Chang broke up with her boyfriend!" She dissolved into giggles.

"I'm not surprised," Daphne replied. "For Merlin's sake, has that girl got over her boyfriend yet?"

"She just broke up with Corner," Millicent put in.

"Not Corner, the dead one, Diggory."

"Such a shame that he's dead, don't you think?"

"He was so good looking," Daphne sighed.

"He was a Hufflepuff, though," Tracey said distastefully.

Daphne waved that aside. "Dating Hufflepuffs is looked down upon, but it's not nearly as bad as dating Gryffindors."

"Who would want to date a Gryffindor?"

"No self-respecting Slytherin, anyway."

Pansy resisted the urge to hex Sally-Anne underneath the table.

"Anyway, who do you think is the most dateable boy in Hogwarts?"

"Adrian," Tracey said firmly. "He's influential, well connected, rich, and comes from a very respectable line."

"You always say Adrian."

"Well, what were you going to say?"

Daphne blushed. "Theodore."

"See? That's the same answer you had yesterday."

"That's different!"

"Perhaps if you didn't play the same game every morning, you wouldn't have arguments about repeating answers?" Pansy pointed out dryly.

Sally-Anne rolled her eyes. "Just because you don't like playing doesn't mean you can spoil it for the rest of us."

"Why doesn't she like playing, anyway?"

"Well, she's stuck with Draco, isn't she? The poor thing probably doesn't want to think about being stuck with him."

"Excuse me?" Pansy waved in front of their faces. "I'm right here! There's no need to talk about me like I'm not here."

There was a pause while they digested this.

"Good point," Daphne said finally.

"She is indeed here."

"I never would have noticed if she hadn't told us."

"Don't make fun of me," Pansy said, annoyed.

"But we're your friends," Sally-Anne whined. "We have a right to tease you."

"What else are friends for?" Tracey said, grinning.

"Now, now, girls," Daphne mock admonished them. "Pansy must be feeling excluded. Why don't we let her have the next turn?" She turned to Pansy.

Suddenly all of them were focused on her. "That's not necessary," Pansy protested.

"We insist," Tracey said.

"I'd rather not go, if it's all the same to you."

"We know her answer already. It was Draco, wasn't it?" Daphne asked Pansy.

"Of course it was," Tracey said dismissively. "Draco and Pansy are practically engaged."

"Speaking of Draco, where _is_ your boyfriend this morning?" Millicent asked coyly.

"He isn't my boyfriend," Pansy denied.

"Oh, so you broke up then?"

"You broke up with Draco? Why didn't you tell us?" Daphne said with fake hurt.

"Does that mean he's available now?" Millicent asked eagerly.

"Draco and I are not dating! We've never dated," Pansy stated forcefully.

Sally-Anne sniffed. "A likely story."

"It's true," Pansy insisted.

"What about the time you two went to the Yule Ball together?"

"We went as friends. It wasn't a date."

Daphne winked at Pansy. "Sure."

"If you say so," Tracey added.

Pansy gave up on changing their minds. "Well, if you want to think that, I can't really stop you."

"You're right about that. You can't stop us."

"Fine. But can we talk about something else now?"

"Did you hear the other new rumor?" Sally-Anne wanted to know.

Daphne and Tracey shook their heads eagerly and leaned in to hear more about Hannah Abbot's exciting love life.

After listening to Sally-Anne describe the love lives of three more students, Pansy decided that she had finished eating breakfast. She stood up. "I'm going to look for Draco," she told them.

Millicent nodded wisely. "Solving your lovers' snit? Go talk some sense into him," she advised. "If you want, I could come along and give you some advice."

Had Pansy been eating something at the time, she was certain she would have choked. "Thank you for the offer, but that isn't necessary. And it isn't a lovers' snit."

Daphne was shaking uncontrollably with silent laughter, Tracey buried her face in her hands to muffle her chuckles and Sally-Anne watched closely, as if memorizing the next gossip item. Which probably was exactly what Sally-Anne was doing.

Millicent seemed disappointed. "Are you sure, Pansy?"

"Yes."

"Oh, all right then. Go on."

Pansy nodded and escaped.

* * *

As Pansy stepped out of the Great Hall, she caught a glimpse of familiar white-blond hair. "Draco!" she exclaimed, running up to him. "Where have you been?"

Draco didn't even try to run, though perhaps that had something to do with the fact that she was only a foot away from him. "Hello, Pansy," he said wearily. "I've been walking around the castle."

"You've been ignoring me," Pansy accused. "Haven't you?"

"If I say yes, will you go away?"

The comment stung, though she refused to let it show on her face. "No. Have you made a decision yet?"

"I knew you would ask that question."

Pansy refused to be sidetracked. "Well, have you?"

"I won't betray my father, or my fellow Slytherins."

"Draco—"

"If you're inciting me to betray my father by befriending those who imprisoned him, forget it. I don't want to hear it."

She hated it when Draco got like this. He would hide behind a shield of absolute certainty, refusing to let her say anything that could break through his defenses. It was like throwing herself at a very prickly knarl. There was no use talking to him now; she should wait for a better moment. "Fine. You won't do it. Now that we have discussed it, will you stop avoiding me?"

"That's it? You're just going to let it go?"

"Of course," Pansy said blandly.

Draco regarded her with suspicion. "Why do I have a feeling this isn't the end of this?"

"I have no idea."


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. They are owned by JKR and a bunch of other people.

* * *

Chapter Five 

"Hi, Ginny," Hermione said as Ginny joined them at lunch. "How was Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Ginny made a face. "Professor Viridian is teaching us the _Densaugeo_ curse. He won't teach us anything new! He says that 'not everyone has learned as much as the D.A. members have,' " she mimicked.

Instead of defending the teacher, as Harry expected her to, Hermione's eyes lit up. "I know! We can restart the D.A.! We don't need Umbridge's permission this time. What do you think, Harry?"

"I guess," Harry said, considering. "People need to know how to defend themselves."

"Great. I'll make an announcement to put up in the Great Hall." Hermione whipped out a sheet of parchment. "We can do it this weekend."

"We can do what this weekend?"

Hermione seemed surprised at the question. "The organizational meeting, of course! Some of the members from the original D.A. have left, and I'm sure some new people will want to join. We also have to sort out meeting times and such."

Ron groaned audibly. "_More_ work to do?"

"I'll be doing the organization, of course," Hermione said matter-of-factly. She began writing, muttering underneath her breath all the while.

"What time this weekend will the organizational meeting be?" Ginny asked.

Hermione paused and looked up from her writing. "I was thinking of about seven o' clock Saturday evening, out by Hagrid's garden."

"Okay," Ginny said. "I'll tell my friends when I see them next."

"That's good," Hermione replied distantly. Ginny strolled away towards the other end of the Gryffindor table.

"It will be fun doing the D.A. again," Harry said.

"Uh huh," Hermione mumbled, clearly not paying attention. Her quill scratched busily across the parchment.

Ron watched Hermione, amused. "The Chudley Cannons won the league."

"Fascinating."

"They replaced their Seeker with a monkey," Harry added. "He's bright blue with purple polka dots. His name is Wan A. Banana."

"Interesting."

"Pigwidgeon volunteered to play Beater. They say he's the best Beater anyone has ever seen. The girls love him. I saw a queue outside his cage waiting for autographs."

"Really."

Harry tired of the game and cleared his throat. "I'm going to go back to the common room now," he said loudly.

"Have fun."

"Want to come play some chess, Ron?"

Ron nodded and stood up to follow Harry.

* * *

Harry stared at the enormous throng around Hagrid's garden. "There are so many of them!" Harry whispered in horrified fascination. "How am I supposed to teach them all?" 

"We've had very good turn out," Hermione said happily. "We may have to split the D.A. up into two sections, one for new members, one for old members."

"Hermione, _how am I going to teach them all_? I don't have enough time!"

"You'll see, it will all work out. Ron and I will help you." She glanced at Ron. "Right, Ron?"

"Of course we'll help you!"

"See? You have nothing to worry about."

Harry remained stubbornly unconvinced. "We'll see."

Hermione sighed and climbed up on one of Hagrid's enormous pumpkins. "Attention please!" The general hubbub died down and people gathered around. "We have a lot more people this year. In order to teach you all, we're going to divide you into two groups. So if everyone in who was in the D.A. last year could sign this parchment and write down what days and times they will not be available in the afternoons of next week for the first D.A. meeting, and if everyone who is joining this year could do the same with this parchment, we can schedule the first meetings." She held out the parchments.

"We don't know our Quidditch schedules," Zacharias objected as Neville signed up.

"This is just scheduling the first meeting," Hermione explained patiently. "We obviously don't know the dates of everyone's Quidditch practices yet, so we're going to schedule meetings as they come, just like we did last year. The parchments are just for organization, since we have so many people."

"Fine," Zacharias grumbled.

Some people seemed wary of signing the parchment. When Neville offered the parchment to the people nearest him, they shifted uneasily where they stood and didn't take it.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione, clearly irritated.

One of the people near Neville, a blond girl, spoke up. "Did you jinx the parchment?" she asked bluntly. Harry didn't recognize her, though she did seem vaguely familiar.

"What would the point in _that_ be?" Hermione asked exasperatedly. "We don't have to keep it a secret from Umbridge this time!"

"Well, suppose we don't trust you? I don't want to have to take your word for it that the parchments aren't hexed."

"Then everyone can just tell me the information, and I'll write it down. Is that satisfactory?" Hermione inquired irritably.

There was a general murmur of agreement.

"Harry, do you want to write down information for the people who did the D.A. last year?" Hermione whispered to him.

"All I have to do is ask what days and times they be busy in the afternoons of next week, right?"

"Yes," Hermione said. She raised her voice. "Will all the new D.A. members who haven't signed the parchment line up in front of me? D.A. members from last year can line up in front of Harry."

Ernie was first in line. Harry wrote down _Ernie Macmillan_ under the leftmost column. "When are you busy next week?"

"Monday: three o' clock to four o' clock, Tuesday: six o' clock to the end of the day, Wednesday…"

* * *

Because it was a lovely, crisp, fall day, they sat outside by the lake. 

"It looks like the old members will be meeting on Wednesday," Hermione mused, absently picking leaves out of her hair. "I think that they're all available at five o' clock.

"When will the new members meet?"

"I haven't figured that out yet." Hermione reached for the other sheet of parchment. It wasn't there. "Harry, Ron, have either of you seen the sheet of parchment for the old members? I thought I put it down right here…"

"I have it," Ron spoke up. "Why are we sorting things by new and old members? Why not sort the fifth through seventh years in one group, and the first through fourth in another group?"

"The old members are much farther along than the new ones. Maybe when the new members are caught up we can divide people into groups based on year. Are you going to give me the parchment or stare at it all day?" Hermione snapped

Ron handed it to Hermione without protest. She glanced back and forth between two sheets or parchment, making tally marks with her wand. From what Harry could see across the table, one of the parchments showed the times when D.A. members were unavailable and the other contained a list of dates and times. She looked up and caught Harry's eye. "I'm making tallies to keep track of how many people are busy on a certain day," Hermione explained.

"Why are you doing it with your wand?" Harry asked curiously.

"The wand writing will fade away eventually. That way I can reuse this sheet later instead of writing it all out again."

Ron looked at it over Hermione's shoulder. "Can you really find enough time where every single D.A. member is available?"

"We managed to do it last year," Hermione answered. "Besides, I only need the new D.A. member to be available. And if one or two of them can't make it, they'll simply have to miss that meeting. That's why I'm using the tally system—I can keep track of how many people aren't available. If a time has only one or two tallies and no other times are convenient, we can simply use that time and let a few people miss a meeting."

"Yes, but won't that mean they'll get behind?" Ron questioned.

Hermione shrugged. "We can help them catch up at the beginning of the meetings. Maybe people who miss a meeting should arrive early at the next session. Or they could ask a friend to explain it to them. Okay, it looks like the new members will meet on Monday at three o' clock. But I'll have to check the other members."

"What do you mean, the other members? Aren't they all on the list?"

"Well, some people couldn't make it today, so I went around and spoke to them earlier. I think that they're available then, but I didn't write it down, so I'll have to check."

"There are going to be even _more_ members?"

"Only a few more," Hermione said reassuringly.

"Blimey, Harry, I don't know how you're going to handle all of the new members. There are already even more new members than the entire group last year, _and_ that's not even the entire list!"

"I appreciate the vote of confidence."

"Don't mention it. Hey, if you can pull this off, maybe you should try to become a D.A. teacher instead of an Auror."

"I want to be an Auror, if I can."

"You can," Hermione said decisively. "You've faced down the Dark Lord. You made a corporeal Patronus in third year! You're the Boy Who Lived; there's no way Fudge could turn you down if you want to be an Auror."

"Thanks, Hermione."

* * *

Please review! Thanks to **TriGemini**, **pastyglue**,** Forsooth**, and **The-Reader** for reviewing!


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. JKR and a bunch of other people do.

**

* * *

**  
Chapter Six

Hermione was busily checking people off her checklist and demanding their timetables. Ron had been pressed into service to help write things down. Harry had escaped this duty to start teaching the early arrivals '_Expelliarmus_.'

"It's too _easy_," whined Elizabeth, a self-professed child prodigy.

Derek, who was struggling with the spell, was less successful. "_Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!_"

"Don't be stupid," Elizabeth said scornfully. "You don't do it like that. You're pronouncing it all wrong. It should be 'Expelli-_ar_-mus,' not 'Expel-_li_-armus."

Harry was forcibly reminded of Hermione.

Derek did not seem to appreciate Elizabeth's advice. "I don't need your help," he hissed. "Go away and bother someone else."

"Well, if you don't need my help, then do it already!"

"Do you want to try that again now?" Harry asked, ignoring Elizabeth.

Derek nodded. "Expelliarmus!" Harry noticed that the _ar_ was emphasized this time, rather than the _li_. Across the room, Hermione's wand flew out of her hand. Ron sniggered.

"Good job," Harry said encouragingly.

"Thanks," Derek said.

"See? I was right, wasn't I?" Elizabeth gloated.

"Shut _up_."

Elizabeth simply smirked.

* * *

Harry paired off the members to practice on each other and walked around to observe how they were doing. Since all of the members had arrived, Hermione and Ron could be pulled away from door duty and allowed to help the members who were having difficulty. Hermione was explaining the theory to one of the members while Ron demonstrated.

The members weren't doing as well as could be hoped. Most members' spells were coming out rather patchy; they might knock the wand out of their opponent's hands one turn, but would knock books off the shelves the next.

There were some people that had already mastered the spell and could perform it consistently: Elizabeth, who was currently mocking everyone in the vicinity; a rabbity-looking boy who seemed vaguely familiar; a boy that Harry didn't recognize; and several Ravenclaws whose names Harry could never remember. Harry pulled them away from their partners. "Could you all help show the others how to do it properly? _Don't_ insult them," Harry added, giving Elizabeth a sharp look.

"All right," Elizabeth pouted.

"I guess," one of the boys said reluctantly. The Ravenclaws nodded eagerly, though Harry privately thought that they merely wanted to show off.

"Great," he said. "Er…you can get started now."

They scattered.

* * *

"That was a good lesson," Hermione said cheerfully to Harry and Ron on their way back from the D.A. meeting.

"Really?" Harry asked. "I don't think we got much done."

"We made a lot of progress. All of the members have been successful at least a couple times, and considering that we had so many first years, that was quite an accomplishment."

"I think Hermione's right," Ron broke in. "Before the meeting, half of those first years couldn't have cast _Expelliarmus_ properly twice in a row if their life depended on it."

"We did more in the first meeting last year, though," Harry said, reflecting.

Hermione shook her head. "It only seems that way. For the most part, last year's members were people we already knew and liked, so there weren't many first years."

"I guess that makes sense. When are they meeting again?"

"The old members are meeting Wednesday at five, remember?"

"No—I mean yes, I did remember, but no, that's not what I meant. I meant, when are the new members meeting next week?"

"Oh! Right. Well, I'm pretty sure that Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday are out of the question; apparently there are some clubs then and we'd be losing too many people."

"Okay."

* * *

"Pass the toast, will you, Harry?"

Harry grabbed a few slices off the top before handing it to Ron.

"Thanks," Ron replied, digging in.

The rustling of wings signalled the arrival of owl post. A handsome brown owl dropped the _Daily Prophet_ next to Hermione. She dropped the five Knuts into its pouch. Harry let the owl drink from his goblet and stroked its feathers before it flew off.

"Hmm…" Hermione said, poring over the _Daily Prophet._

"What is it?"

"There hasn't been any news of Voldemort recently."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ron asked, shuddering slightly at the name.

"Yes, of course, but I wonder _why_ nothing has happened."

"Well, his Death Eaters _did_ get thrown in prison."

"Yes, but you'd think something would be happening."

"He's probably plotting as we speak," Harry said darkly. "He needs his Death Eaters, and it won't take much to persuade the

Dementors."

"Have you had any dreams lately?" Hermione questioned, eyeing him suspiciously.

"No," Harry said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked. "Because you _have_ been twitching a lot in your sleep lately."

"I'm sure," Harry said shortly.

"Well, if you're certain…." Hermione turned back to her newspaper.

* * *

Katie came and stopped them when they were about to leave the Great Hall. "Hello, Harry, Ron and Hermione," she said. "I've been meaning to talk to you. Now that Angelina has graduated, I've been made Quidditch captain."

"Congratulations," Hermione said warmly. "I'm sure you'll do well."

Katie made a face. "Thanks, but I've never been as good as Angelina or Alicia."

"Oh, Katie, don't worry, everything will work out," Hermione soothed.

She sighed, looking off into the distance. "I hope so. Anyway, we're holding Quidditch tryouts this Saturday for two new Chasers. Do you think you can make it?"

"Sure," Ron said.

"Am I even on the Quidditch team?" He _had_ been kicked off the team last year, after all.

"Of course! You're the best Seeker we've ever had, Harry, and it's not like that toad Umbridge is still around. You did get your broom back, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Nothing, I guess."

"Good. I could really use some advice," Katie confessed. "I was really surprised when I was picked to be Quidditch Captain; I was expecting it to be you."

"Really?" Harry was amazed. "But you've been on the team longer than I have. I didn't play Quidditch for most of last year!"

Katie shrugged. "Well, I'd still appreciate any help you could give me."

As Katie departed, Ron asked, "Do you think that Ginny will make the team? She said she was going to try out for Chaser."

Harry considered. "She's pretty good at flying. I think she'll probably make the team."

"How well do you think Katie will do as Quidditch Captain?"

"I don't know. She's a great chaser, but I don't know how she'll do as Quidditch Captain. We'll see."

* * *

**AN: **Please review! Thanks to **Tri-Gemini**, **The-Reader**, **SeverusSnape'sLove**,and **Cold-eyes-for-you**.  



	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, objects, places, etc. JKR does.

* * *

Chapter Seven 

"As prefects, it is your duty to uphold the rules of Hogwarts. You will patrol the halls, enforce the rules, and help out the teachers when necessary," McGonagall said. "You will…"

Bored, Pansy tuned out McGonagall's voice. She had heard this all before, last year. There was nothing she couldn't afford to miss.

She wasn't the only one not paying any attention. Draco was locked in a glaring match with the older Weasley, Padma was filing her nails, and Adrian never paid attention. He thought that just because he was one of the most popular Slytherins that he could get away with anything. _Unfortunately,_ Pansy reflected glumly, _he probably can. He has enough friends to do his bidding._ In fact, Granger and Macmillan were the only sixth year prefects even pretending to pay attention. The fifth year prefects actually seemed to be listening quite closely, as if McGonagall would actually have something important to say.

"Miss Parkinson!"

Pansy jumped. "Yes, Professor?" she asked, once she had regained her composure and the remains of her dignity.

"What did I just say?"

She glanced around for inspiration. No help from Draco; he hadn't been paying attention either. The Weasleys and the Hufflepuff were unlikely to assist a Slytherin, the Ravenclaws would enjoy knowing something she didn't, and she couldn't trust any of the other Slytherins. Pansy looked beseechingly at Granger, who seemed disapproving and shook her head firmly.

"I don't know, Professor."

"Why not?"

"I wasn't listening."

"Why weren't you listening?"

"I don't know."

"If you do not know why you are doing it, then perhaps you should stop," McGonagall said sternly.

"Yes, Professor."

"Now, does anyone know what I was just speaking about?"

Granger's hand shot up. "We were discussing ways to boost morale."

"Correct, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor. Does anyone have any ideas?"

"More Quidditch matches," Weasley said, his face lighting up at the thought.

"Oh, yes, Gryffindor morale will be _greatly_ improved when Slytherin wins," Draco drawled.

"Don't be so sure," Weasley snarled. "We've beaten you before; we can do it again."

"Boys!" McGonagall said sharply. "You should be setting a good example for the younger students."

Draco and Weasley went back to glaring at each other. _If looks could kill,_ Pansy thought, _then Draco and Weasley ought to be smears on the floor by now._

"We could skip homework," suggested Creevy.

Granger looked horrified, but McGonagall intervened before Granger had the time to throw a fit. "We cannot drop homework, as it is an essential teaching tool."

"We could throw a ball," the younger Weasley proposed. What was her name again? Jenny?

"That's actually a good idea," Padma agreed. "The last ball was very enjoyable; at least the _Beauxbaton__s_ boys were polite." She shot a significant look at Weasley, who looked entirely clueless. His sister, Pansy noted, was turning red enough for both of them.

"That would mean extra work for the house elves," Granger said, with what appeared to be genuine concern.

"Who cares?" Weasley said.

"Ron!" Granger exclaimed, aghast.

"Hermione, the house elves _like_ work. You—"

"That's not true!" Granger said angrily. "It's only because they've been brainwashed -"

"Miss Granger! I expect better of you than to squabble in front of the younger prefects."

Granger blushed and apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry, Professor. I'll try to do better in the future."

"I hope so, Miss Granger. Now, a ball would be a great deal of work. The house elves cannot do everything, and the teachers are very busy. While we can assist, if we were to have a ball, most of the planning and decorating work would fall to the prefects, under the supervision of the Head Boy and Girl."

Chang cleared her throat, to the surprise of everyone. Despite being the Head Girl, she spoke rarely. _At least she doesn't cry at prefect meetings. I am_ not _in the mood to put up with it._ "I'm sure we can handle it," she said, her voice soft but confident. "If everyone wants to do it, I don't see a reason why not."

"Very well then. We shall have a vote. If enough people want to have a ball, I will speak to Professor Dumbledore. All in favor?" Hands swung up into the air. Pansy counted them. There were ten people in favor. "That's a majority. Miss Chang, and Mr. Pucey," she added with a sharp look at Adrian, "I will leave things in your capable hands while I go talk to Dumbledore. Try and see if you can get any of the organization done."

Adrian stirred himself out of his reverie and offered a cocky smile. "Everything will be just fine, Professor." Somehow, Pansy didn't feel reassured.

McGonagall nodded stiffly and swept out.

"So," Adrian said, grinning, "what shall we do? We could always fill the Great Hall with jinxes to hex anyone who dances in the wrong spot…scare the hell out of the first years, I bet…"

"We are _not_ filling the Great Hall with jinxes," Chang put in adamantly. "Don't be ridiculous." Adrian scowled fiercely at Chang. She ignored him. "Does anyone have any _reasonable_ ideas for the ball?"

"I have the most perfect idea for a ball," Lovegood said, smiling dreamily. "We can have a hunt for Blibbering Humdingers."

Adrian was laughing scornfully, and not trying hard to hide it. "_Blibbering Humdingers_?" he gasped. "And you thought _I_ was being ridiculous!"

"I don't think that Blibbering Humdingers would be appropriate," Chang said.

"Inappropriate? How so? Aside from the fact that they don't exist?" Granger muttered underneath her breath.

"They do _too_ exist. Why, in the last edition of the _Quibbler_, we had three eyewitness reports—" Lovegood replied heatedly.

"Now is not the time and place to discuss this," Chang cut them off.

"Ooh, ooh, what about a masquerade ball? That would be so _romantic_," sighed Louisa, a fifth-year Slytherin prefect. Pansy rolled her eyes in exasperation at her younger counterpart. Across the room, Granger sniffed with disgust.

"You dress up in a disguise and meet your true love!" squealed a Hufflepuff.

Chang shook her head decisively. "There aren't any good costume places in Hogsmeade," she said, overriding all objections. "Since most people probably didn't bring dress robes, they will have to purchase them from Hogsmeade, which means they will have to settle for normal dress robes."

_Who knew she was such a silly twit?_ Pansy thought, as Louisa pouted handsomely. "Oh, all right," Louisa conceded with ill grace. "I suppose we'll have to settle for a _normal_ ball."

"You ought to consider yourself grateful that Professor McGonagall is even considering letting us have a ball at all," Chang replied. Businesslike, she continued briskly, "If no one else has an idea, then I suggest we model this dance after the Yule Ball. I would like everyone to brainstorm and try to come up with a couple ideas for the decorations and such. Does anyone have anything else to add? No? Then this meeting is adjourned. I'll wait and speak to Professor McGonagall when she returns, to see if Dumbledore has agreed."

"Wait a minute," objected Adrian, "why do you get to dismiss the meeting? I'm Head Boy! Don't I get to do anything?"

"You can dismiss the meeting if you want," Chang said with admirable self-restraint, "but I don't see why it would matter—"

"You are dismissed!" Adrian barked.

Pansy escaped gladly to the relative safety of the halls, away from Adrian and the prefect meeting.

* * *

Thanks to **TriGemini**, **danielc**, **Cold-eyes-for-you**, and **xXxThe coldness of lovExXx **for reviewing!  



	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, objects, places, etc. JKR does.

* * *

Chapter Eight 

"Stop it!" Harry hissed quietly at his Potions partner.

Parkinson raised a delicate eyebrow. "Stop what? Breathing? Thinking? Working?"

"No! You know what I mean. Stop staring at me. I gave you back the handkerchief, didn't I?"

"Yes, and I'm very grateful. But I can't help if it's all in your head."

"It isn't all in my head!"

Parkinson rolled her eyes. "Potter, just pass the wormwood."

"Why should I do _anything_ you tell me to?"

"Because you don't want to fail this class?" Parkinson suggested.

"Can't argue with that logic."

Parkinson's mouth quirked in a brief smile. "Hold this and stir while I add these." She tipped the roots in gently. "Keep stirring until the roots dissolve and the potion turns green."

Harry stared at the surface of the potion. It was a sickly yellow color, with tinges of blue creeping across. "This looks disgusting."

"Don't let Snape hear you. He'd probably make you test it," Parkinson commented dryly. "Stop stirring; that's good. Let it sit for a while. I'm going to finish straining the essence of belladonna. Tell me when the potion stops bubbling."

"When the bubbling completely stops, or is just about stopped?"

"When it completely stops." Parkinson poured the belladonna through the strainer, collecting the strands that floated on top, talking as she went. "We pour the pure belladonna in first, and then we add the belladonna strands when they've dried. After that, we're done for today."

"What happens if you add the strands first or don't wait until they're dried?" Harry asked when his curiosity got the best of him.

"You vomit up everything you ate in the past forty-eight hours. It's not pleasant."

"Ugh."

"That's why you should always pay attention to potion directions. It could save your life."

Harry squinted at the potion. "It's stopped bubbling."

"I'm not done straining yet." Parkinson handed him a beaker full of the pure essence. "This is the stuff I've already strained. Pour it in on top while I finish straining the rest."

Harry dumped the belladonna into the cauldron. It slid slowly out of the beaker, like molasses, and it hissed as it mixed into the potion. Parkinson finished straining and laid the strands out to dry. Then she leaned across to add it to the potion. Harry reddened as she brushed across him and glanced at her, hoping she hadn't noticed.

"Oh, sorry," she said, but there was a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"You could just go around, you know."

"I could," Parkinson agreed, "but I don't think I will. Why go around just to do something that takes two seconds?"

"I could move the cauldron," Harry offered.

"I wouldn't advise that," Parkinson said smoothly. "You wouldn't want any of the potion to splash out, would you?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "Fine." He resolved to move the cauldron first thing in their next Potions lesson.

"The strands are ready to be added."

"I'll do it," Harry said quickly. He grabbed the strands out of Parkinson's hand before she could protest.

"Just let the strands float on the surface," Parkinson instructed. "There. We're done." She pulled out another beaker and reached over to collect a sample. "I'll let Professor Snape have this. You put away everything."

Grumbling, Harry collected the ingredients and returned them to the student store cupboard.

* * *

"Welcome back," Harry said to the D.A. members. "We're going to go over everything we learned last year today and see how much you remember. Break off with your partner, grab a few cushions if you want, and try to see how many spells you remember. If there's anything you don't know, just ask and I'll go over it." 

Harry, watching Neville and Ginny, was surprised. Neville had remembered every spell and performed each excellently. "Good job," he said encouragingly. "I see you've been practicing."

Neville nodded. "I practiced all summer. And my gran got me a new wand since I broke Dad's. She was furious, though. At least I saved the pieces."

"I think I've forgotten how to cast Impedimenta," Ginny confessed. "I can't get it to work."

"That's fine," Harry said. Raising his voice so the entire room could hear him, he asked, "Who else has forgotten spells over the summer?"

People seemed to have developed sudden interests in their shoes and ceilings and were remarkably reluctant to meet his eyes. _It's the Synchronized Shoe and Ceiling Inspection Team_, Harry thought. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it. Just tell me what spells you've forgotten."

From the general muttering, he was able to tell that for the most part, it was curses for specific uses, like Impedimenta and Reducto that were being forgotten, rather than more general spells like Protego. "Okay, okay," he said. "We'll start off with Impedimenta." How had he taught it last time? "You have to concentrate on stopping the object. Imagine the object slowing down, gesture with your wand like _this_, and then say Impedimenta very clearly. Let me demonstrate. Neville, can I demonstrate on you?"

Neville nodded. "Sure."

"_Impedimenta_!" Harry yelled. Neville froze into place. "Okay. Does anyone need me to show that again? Okay, then find your partners and practice it a few times. Then we'll go over the other curses people have forgotten, and maybe next lesson we'll be able to do something new. It shouldn't take you as long this time, since you already know the spell."

* * *

"What are Hermione and Ginny going on about?" Harry asked Ron quietly. 

Ron shrugged and swallowed. "The prefects have to plan a ball."

"Not another one," Harry groaned.

"That's what I thought."

"It's to help morale," Hermione explained. "It wasn't my idea, so don't look at me like that, Harry. Ron, you're a prefect, you should be thinking of ideas as well."

"But I can't think of anything! And your ideas are so much _better_," Ron whined.

"You just need to learn to apply yourself. If you just tried harder, do you know how much higher your grades would be?"

"Hermione, I am trying, all right? I'm just not as good as you are!"

Hermione shook her head, but let it drop. "Ginny, what will the prefects have to do for the ball? Aside from decorating."

"Hmm…" Ginny said, considering. "Pick music?"

Hermione wrote it down in her perfect handwriting. "Work with the house elves?"

"Pick food," Ron said around bits of his dinner.

"See?" Hermione said, pleased. "You _can_ think of ideas." Ron rolled his eyes and ignored her.

"Make posters?" Ginny suggested. "Spread the word around in general."

"Check supplies and equipment, so we don't run out?"

"Yes, that's important," Ginny agreed. "I think that's all. The teachers will do the more difficult bits anyway."

"I suppose," Hermione said, looking over her parchment. "I'll go give this to Cho."

"I'll come with you," Ginny said, rising from her seat.

* * *

Harry and Hermione were working on Potions homework in the common room when Ron burst in, wild-eyed. "She just cornered me—I didn't know what to do—in front of everyone!" 

Behind him, Seamus and Dean, sniggering loudly, climbed in through the portrait hole.

"Ron, calm down!" Hermione said sharply. "What's going on?"

"Luna just came up to me in the Great Hall and asked me to the ball! It was in front of everyone, and I didn't know what to do, so I just said yes! _Now_ what do I do?" Ron moaned.

"_Luna_?" Harry said, astonished.

"Do you have the dress robes your brothers bought you?" Hermione asked briskly.

"Yes."

"Then you take her to the ball, dance with her a couple times and try to make the best of things."

Ron gaped at her. "I can't go to the ball with Luna!"

Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously. "You can and you will. You agreed to take her to the ball, Ronald, and I expect you to keep your word."

"But it's _Luna_!"

"That doesn't change anything."

Ron appealed to Harry. "Harry! _You_ know I can't go with Luna!"

"Why not?" Ginny said defensively. "What's wrong with Luna?"

"I don't know, Ron," Harry said slowly. "I think they're right. You did agree to take her."

Seamus clapped Ron on the back. "Looks like you're stuck with Loony Lovegood, mate."

"Don't call her that!" Ginny said angrily.

Ron sat down heavily in a chair. "I'm doomed," he groaned.

* * *

**AN:** Please review! Thanks to **TriGemini**, **padfootedmoony**, **Haunt of twilight** and **Jess** for reviewing!  
**  
TriGemini:** Cho dislikes Adrian because Adrian is a general, all-around, self-absorbed, lazy bastard. And she has to put up with him more than anyone else, because they're both Heads.

**Jess:** I'm sorry! It's just that school work is taking over my life.  



	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc. They are owned by JKR and a bunch of other people.

* * *

Chapter Nine

"I still can't believe you want me to go with _Luna_," Ron griped as they made their way from Transfiguration.

"I'm sorry," Harry said apologetically. "Look, it can't be that bad."

"That's easy for you to say."

"At least you don't have to worry about getting a date now," Harry pointed out. "And at least Luna's nose isn't off-centered. It's not like Luna is a troll." That was what Ron had been worried about before the Yule Ball, anyway.

"She isn't horrible looking," Ron admitted grudgingly, "but she's crazy! I mean, in the prefects' meeting, she suggested hunting for _Blibbering Humdingers_! Can you believe it?"

Harry shook his head in sympathy. "Well, it's not like she can bring them to the ball."

"I guess," Ron grumbled. "Who are you taking to the ball?"

"I haven't really thought about it," Harry said, shrugging.

"Well, Ginny doesn't have a date yet," Ron said casually.

"Are you suggesting I go with her?"

"Well, it would save both of you the trouble of finding a date. Of course, you don't have to, if you really don't want to." They reached the common room and stopped to give the password. "Burning heliotropes," Ron said impatiently. The Fat Lady yawned and swung open. "Let's wait until Hermione gets back from the library to start our homework," Ron suggested.

Harry looked at his watch. "Let's wait half an hour. If she isn't back by then, we'll go find her."

"Sounds good. Want to play Exploding Snap while we wait?" Ron said, bringing out a deck.

Harry nodded and reached across to take the deck and shuffle.

* * *

Thirty minutes and a scorched finger later, Harry decided that it was time to find Hermione. Handing the deck back to Ron, he stood up. "Let's go to the library." 

"What do you think is taking Hermione so long?" Ron asked as they walked down the staircase to the fourth floor. "She said she was just getting a few books for Arithmancy."

"I don't know," Harry said. "Maybe she couldn't find a book?"

"She probably just found a book and started reading it in the library."

"Probably," Harry agreed. "What else could she be doing?"

"Do you want to practice some Quidditch after we finish our homework? You and Ginny can be Chasers and I'll play Keeper."

"Sure," Harry said. "Is Ginny still planning on trying out for Chaser?"

"Yeah. And she's wickedly good at it. Mind you, she hasn't had much chance to practice with team formations and stuff like that, since Fred and George moved out."

Madam Pince glared at them as they entered the library, probably for talking too loudly.

"There she is," Ron whispered, jabbing a finger at Hermione. They quickly slipped past the desks where people worked and between the shelves to join her.

Hermione looked positively harassed. "I've been looking for an Arithmancy book for the past half hour, but I can't find it! Madam Pince said it isn't checked out, but it's not on any of the proper shelves."

"Sorry about that, Hermione. Why don't you come and help us with our homework, and we'll help you look for your book later?" suggested Harry.

"I thought we were going to play Quidditch after we finished out homework?" said Ron, frowning.

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said. "I did want to look up something in that book, but I have some other assignments to work on until I find it."

"Let's go then," Ron said. "The faster we're done with that DADA assignment, the faster we can go out and play Quidditch."

"I'm glad you've fixed your priorities and know better than to play Quidditch first," Hermione said. She swept out past the bookshelves and stopped abruptly at a table. "_There_ it is!" she exclaimed.

The table's occupant looked up. "What are you talking about, Granger?"

"That Arithmancy book. I've been looking for it for half an hour! Can I please take it?"

"No."

"You aren't even using it! You're working on Charms homework."

"So?"

"Give it to her, Malfoy," Ron said.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Why should I?"

"Because you don't want to get hexed," Ron said, lifting his wand in warning.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "Don't! You'll get in trouble!"

"But he's being a prat!"

"You're a prefect! You should be showing a good example!"

"Here," Malfoy said abruptly, thrusting the book at Hermione. "Take your stupid book. I don't need it anymore anyway."

Startled, Hermione took it. Ron merely stared, caught off-guard. Obviously, he hadn't expected Malfoy to actually comply.

"Let's go," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione.

* * *

Harry always loved flying, but he enjoyed Seeking more than he did Chasing. Still, Ron and Ginny managed to make it fun. He soared around, feeling the wind, doing a few crazy loops for the sheer joy of flying. Ron whooped, watching him go, until Ginny flew in and scored on the undefended goal. 

"Hey!" Ron yelled, tossing the Quaffle back. "No fair!"

His sister grinned at him. "The Slytherins aren't going to wait and make sure you're paying attention, Ron." She caught the ball and passed it to Harry.

Harry weaved around imaginary players, making up formations, passing the Quaffle back and forth in imitation of other Chasers he had seen. Ginny did her best at keeping up with him, but the speed of the Firebolt outstripped her broomstick easily. He slowed down, compensating for the difference in their broomsticks. As she drew even with him, he threw the Quaffle at her and then sped ahead, pausing by the goals Ron guarded.

"Pass it to me!" he shouted as Ginny came closer.

Ginny seemed unsure, but tossed the Quaffle to him. Ron immediately flew to block Harry. Harry dove at the goals, then at the last moment, switched gears and passed the ball to Ginny. Ginny seized it and scored before Ron could return to the other goals.

"Great idea, Harry!" Ginny called.

He noticed that Ron's ears seemed to be reddening, probably out of embarrassment at failing to block the shot, and didn't comment.

* * *

"I hope the Slytherin Chasers aren't as good as you two," Ron groaned as they sat down for dinner. 

"You didn't do that badly," Harry reassured him. "You blocked a lot of our shots. I could hardly get a shot in at all."

"Then why do I feel like I missed most of the shots?"

"You blocked more than you missed," Harry pointed out. "It's just that the ones you missed stand out more clearly in your memory."

"I guess so."

"Did you two get any of your other homework assignments done before you ran off to play Quidditch?" Hermione asked disapprovingly.

"Give it a rest, Hermione," Ron said. "We already did our DADA homework, which is the only stuff due tomorrow, so what's the big deal?"

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Just because something isn't due tomorrow doesn't mean that you can blow it off—"

"We'll work on it another time, okay, Hermione?" Ron interrupted. "Just let us eat in peace!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but changed the subject. "How did Ginny do?"

"She's a good Chaser," Harry said. "I would be surprised if she _doesn't_ make it as Chaser."

Ron nodded. "She's very good, especially with Harry helping. Harry made up all sorts of new formations." Ron launched into a description of the different manoeuvres, mostly to Neville. Hermione had lost interest in Quidditch and turned to her Arithmancy book. Harry already knew what Ron was describing, so he looked around and examined the hall.

Across the hall, Parkinson was watching him. She met his eyes steadily, her gaze slightly calculating, slightly curious, and some other quality he couldn't quite identify. Deliberately, she winked, and turned to chat with her other friends.

* * *

Please review! Thanks to **TriGemini**, **padfootedmoony**, **Jess** and **insertuniquepenname** for reviewing!

**TriGemini**: Yeah, Ron doesn't like his date with Luna, but I think that he's considerate enough not to just abandon her, since he's already agreed.

**insertuniquepenname**: Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind. 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or related characters, places, objects, etc.

* * *

Chapter Ten 

Of the people who had auditioned for the two remaining Chaser positions, Harry felt that only two people really stood out. Ginny was one of them, along with a fourth year, Shelton. In the flying games, the two of them out-flew the other candidates by a vast margin. The only problem was that the prospective candidates seemed unwilling to try to get along.

"Get out of the way, Ginger! This is my shot!" Shelton yelled.

"It's Ginny!"

"Whatever!"

"And that's my sister you're talking to!"

"Try to get along," Katie called. "Chasers need to work together."

"I'll be sure to slow down so Ginger—sorry, Ginny—can keep up with me."

"Don't worry about me," Ginny snapped. "Look out for yourself."

"Timeout! Team!" Katie waved the team down, gathering them into a huddle. "What do you think of Shelton?" Katie asked, lowering her voice unnecessarily. "Ginny is a given, I think, but I don't know of she can get along with Shelton."

"It's not her fault," Ron said immediately. "Why don't we just get someone else? Marvin did okay."

Jack snorted. " 'Okay' isn't good enough."

"Well, during practice and games, they'll have to work together. Maybe they can learn to get along," Harry said.

"Maybe," Katie said dubiously. "Well, we'll try it out, and if things just don't work, then we'll deal with it then."

* * *

"Hey, Pansy!" Cho hurried down the hall towards her. 

Pansy glanced at Daphne. "I'll meet you back in the common room later, all right?"

Daphne shrugged, flipping her hair. "Whatever."

"Pansy, could you do me a favor?" Cho panted. "Are you going to Hogsmeade next weekend?"

Pansy frowned. "It's a Hogsmeade weekend?"

"Well, yes," Cho said. "It was supposed to be on the common room boards. Adrian said he put it up in the Slytherin common room."

"I haven't seen any new announcements."

Cho hissed between her teeth. "I'll talk to him about it later. Look, could you put this up in the common room?" She pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Pansy. "Good thing I had an extra copy. Anyway, next week might be the last Hogsmeade weekend before the ball, so anyone who wishes to attend the ball will need to buy dress robes if they don't have them. I was wondering if you could pick out some decorations to use? I'm going to be busy working with the house elves."

Pansy shrugged. "Sure."

Cho smiled, relieved. "Thanks. Just grab a few samples of whatever you like and bring them back to me." She walked away in the direction of the Ravenclaw dormitories.

"Oh, and Pansy?" Cho had stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned back to face her. "Hermione will meet you at the Three Broomsticks, to help you pick out decorations. I've already spoken to her."

Cho whirled around a corner and left before Pansy could reply.

"Great," Pansy said without much enthusiasm.

* * *

Granger wasn't in the library. Nor was she in the Great Hall, any of the main classrooms, or the grounds. Pansy considered asking one of the Gryffindors to check the common room for her, but a Gryffindor probably wouldn't be inclined to help her. 

"Come on, Granger," Pansy muttered. "Where are you? I need to talk to you." She stopped at the base of the Divination classroom's ladder and decided against going up. Granger wouldn't be up there.

Where else would Granger go?

Something triggered within Pansy's memory: a room filled with books and cushions, where a secret organization met…

She hurried towards the tapestry of that idiot Barnabas. Just as she suspected, the door was already in place. She paused outside it and placed her ear to the wood, listening to see if Granger had company.

Granger did. As she pressed against the wood, she could hear the muted sounds of people yelling hexes and curses.

They had started the D.A. again. Why hadn't Granger told her? It was a perfect opportunity to introduce inter-House unity.

Granger would have to talk to her about the decorations. She couldn't just put it off forever. Pansy would take the opportunity then to talk about the D.A.

* * *

She caught Granger on the way back to the common room. "Granger," Pansy said pleasantly. "Could I have a word? We really should talk about the decorations." 

"What? Oh, right. Sure."

Pansy pulled Granger by the arm into an empty classroom, letting Granger dump her books on a table.

"Why didn't you tell me about the D.A.?" Pansy demanded, dropping the pleasant façade.

Granger bit her lip. "Well, no offense, Parkinson, but Harry and Ron would find it hard to trust a Slytherin. They would worry that you would use the spells against them."

"Really," Pansy said evenly. "Do you mean _they_ would worry, or _you_ would worry?"

Granger didn't look at her. "Weren't we supposed to discuss the decorations?"

The change of subject made Granger's feelings clear to Pansy. "Have you tried asking them about the possibility?"

"Well, no," Granger admitted. "But with Voldemort's return and all, they would be worried that some Slytherins might use their knowledge to—attack us or something."

"Why? Just because we're Slytherins, that means we must be evil?"

Granger winced. "No, it's not like that. It's just that Gryffindors and Slytherins don't really get along. And you know how it's been with Dr—Malfoy and Harry; they've always fought, and it hasn't really helped Harry's opinion of Slytherins."

"Don't we at least deserve a chance? I thought you believed in inter-house unity!"

"I do!" Granger said defensively. "It's just that—I think—Harry—oh, all right. I'll talk to them."

"You will?"

"Yes," Granger sighed. "You're right, I should have asked them about it in the beginning. Not all Slytherins will be able to join, though, you know," she warned. "I don't think they'll let anyone from the Slytherin Quidditch team in. Maybe you should pick the people who join? You would know better than us which Slytherins are trustworthy. Just pick a few people that you really, really trust. If anything happens, I don't think that they would let any Slytherins in after that."

"All right," Pansy agreed. It was as much to her benefit as it was to Granger's to make sure that any Slytherins chosen were trustworthy and discrete. "How will you keep the other members quiet? I don't want them running off and telling everyone there are Slytherins in the D.A."

"The D.A. members can keep a secret," Granger reassured her. "It'll be fine. Now, for decorations, I was thinking of a red and gold motif—"

"We can discuss the decorations later, there'll be plenty of time on Saturday."

"Could we at least settle the color theme?"

"Fine," Pansy said, irritated. "But we are definitely not decorating the ball in Gryffindor colors. What's wrong with green and silver?"

"How about red and green?"

Pansy dismissed the suggestion with a wave of her hand. "Too Christmassy. How about green and gold?"

Granger hesitated, and then nodded. "That will work."

"All right. Now that that's settled, I'll see you at the Three Broomsticks next Saturday. Will noon be an acceptable time?"

"I'll see you then."

"Great," Pansy said. Going to the door, she opened it a crack and looked around. The hall was deserted. "Later, Granger," she said, and slipped out.

* * *

Please review! Thanks to **.Nyome.**, **Black's Phoenix**, **yo-yo55d**, **TriGemini**, **Jess**, **padfootedmoony** and **Scottiechick-2001** for reviewing!  



End file.
